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Monday, December 5, 2011

Izzy's

Izzy's is a sandwich deli shop located in Cincinnati, Ohio. About two months ago, they were featured on the Travel Channel's hit series "Man v. Food Nation," where one MvF Nation member attempted to eat the "110 Reuben," a massive 5+ pound Reuben sandwich. I ventured to the original Main Street location, the site of the MvF Nation taping.

Pose for the camera!

Izzy's was founded in 1901, but it was David Kadetz, the third-generation of this family-run business, that really sparked how successful Izzy's would really become. When David took over as owner in 1980, Izzy's only had one restaurant. Today, nine can be found in the Tri-Cities area. David passed away in April 2011, but his legacy lives on.

While Izzy's boasts several delicious dishes, I went with their signature sandwich: the original Reuben ($8.49). Rye bread encompasses Izzy's house-made corned beef, sauerkraut, their special dressing, and melted imported Swiss cheese. The sandwich comes with one of Izzy's famous potato pancakes and pickles.

Yeah, it's a styrofoam container...that'd be a no-no in Oregon, that's for sure

Reuben! Yeah!

Cross-section time!

Potato pancake!

The corned beef was excellent, among some of the best I've ever had. The seasoning, brining, and slow-cooking process yields this comforting aura when I eat it. Just soft, tender, and flavorful. I loved the melted Swiss cheese here, and even better that they used a broiler to melt that bad boy down. The dressing (probably 1000 Island or something similar?) has that sweet component that combines perfectly with the drained sauerkraut. So yes, I know my fellow Yelp buddy "Chuck B" would enjoy this sandwich.

The sandwich came with packets of mustard, but I didn't need that here.I'd rather have my bread toasted for sandwiches, but that's just a personal preference.

The well-seasoned potato pancake was fried to crispy perfection. Looking back, I should have made my own mini-110 Reuben and put the potato pancake inside the sandwich. Finally, the pickles were delicious -- and I also should have put those in the Reuben as well!

FYI, the "110 Reuben" sandwich commemorates being in business for 110 years. It is a monstrosity of a meal: a 2.5 lb rye loaf holds 1.1 pounds of corned beef, numerous slices of Swiss cheese, three pints of sauerkraut, a boatload of special dressing, and an oversized potato pancake. The final creation is around five pounds of epic sandwich. I'm not sure I could take it down myself -- even at my hungriest. The challenger on the Man v. Food Nation episode sat near the front of the house, facing the entrance, with the ordering counter to his right.

Izzy's has a bright, inviting atmosphere, and I now know why they are touted as the "World's Greatest Reubens!" 8.5/10